


From the Ashes

by batgvrls



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics), Under the Red Hood
Genre: Action/Adventure, Amazons - Freeform, Batfleck - Freeform, Death, Exile, F/F, F/M, Friendship, Greek Mythology - Freeform, Love, Multi, Slow Burn, Some Humor, Themyscira, some violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-12
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-09-08 02:04:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8825977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/batgvrls/pseuds/batgvrls
Summary: "It's do or die in this business, Red. There are some who succeed. The rest are dead."In which an Amazon with a mysterious past finds herself in Gotham City.





	1. the shadows

**Author's Note:**

> disclaimer: some of this plot follows the animated movie Under the Red Hood. I do not own UTRH or any of its plot. however, I do own my OC and my original plot. enjoy!
> 
> small trigger warning. read at your own risk for this opening chapter, it's pretty dark.

**chapter one:** **the shadows**

 

The street was as dark as the sky, consumed by the shadows of the night. It was as if the darkness were alive and eating away at any light it touched; even the moon was out of commission tonight, only offering poor, dim lighting for the humans walking through the city. To help make the visual matters worse, rain started to pour down from the open sky. 

I was perched on the ledge of a brick building, blending into the shadows. The cold rain raised goosebumps on my skin but I felt nothing. I was numb to everything but the Hunt and—by the gods—I was going to finish my kill tonight. 

The alley below me was one of my favorites in this city, so I admit that I was a little protective over it. But tonight, five moronic men occupied it, and in the middle of it all was a young girl clad in red. 

They surrounded her—a tactic that was similar to one I used when I used to hunt with my wolves. It was one I only used when I truly feared my challenger. I doubted these men were afraid of the little girl they were targeting tonight. The thought filled me with rage. 

"If you're quiet, we'll be quick," one man said. His lips curled up into a hideous smirk. "Understand?"

The girl in red was crying now, her tears mixing with the rain splattered on her face. She clutched her stuffed bear for dear life. Even from above, I could hear her heartbeat racing sporadically. 

The man speaking suddenly grabbed her wrist and twisted hard, covering the little girl's mouth and muffling her cry of pain. Anger blinded me now, making it more difficult to see.  _Patience,_ said the voice in my head.  _Remember your code._

I squeezed the hilt of my sword with all my might, waiting for one of the men to make a move.

" _Quiet,_ " another man hissed. He moved toward the girl, unzipping his pants. 

That was my cue.

I leaped down into the alley, only landing a few feet away from the girl. The man holding her wrist immediately let go, startled by my appearance. I was still a shadow of the night....though I knew all the men could see my sword shining in the dim moonlight.

"What the—"

I cut off the shouts of the first man by stabbing my sword through his heart. Ah, how closely the smell of justice resembled the stench of blood in the air. 

The man dropped dead. I eyed the others, sensing the weapons they had in their pants before they even had the chance to pull them out. Pushing the little girl out of the way, I easily disarmed my first attacker. His knife was no match for my sword, crafted by the moon goddess herself. He met his death as quickly as his friend had. 

The rest of the men decided to come at me all at once. I laughed at their idiocy. Hippolyta was right when she said humans from Man's World were as ignorant as Ares himself. 

One fired several bullets as he charged but I deflected all of them with my sword. I sent two kicks to his chest and he cried out as one of his broken ribs punctured his heart. I smiled to myself at my perfect execution. 

The last two men decided that it wasn't in their best interest to challenge me, since all their friends had ended up dead trying. Before they turned and ran the other way, I reached out for their arms. I was blinded by adrenaline and fury by now, needing the pleasure of the kill to satiate my hunger. 

One began to scream for help, but I threw him into the huge garbage pile next to me as I used my sword to slit the other's throat. His blood was warm on my arm as he dropped to the ground, choking on his own blood. 

I shook with adrenaline. Moments like these happened very rarely, but they happened. Rain mixed with sweat and blood ran down my face as I closed my eyes and remembered to control my breathing.  _In._ Pause.  _Out._ Repeat.

A muffled sob from behind me woke up my senses again. 

I sheathed my bloody sword and turned towards the little girl. She looked up at me with wide, tear-filled eyes as she hugged her stuffed bear as tightly as she could. I knelt down to her level, placing a gentle hand on her cheek. It left a bloody handprint on her pale skin. 

"Are you hurt?" I asked, my voice as soft as a caress. 

She shook her head. All I saw in her eyes was fear and nothing else. No gratitude. No sympathy. Only fear. 

Then her eyes moved from mine to someone behind me. I let my hand drop to face my new foe with dread. 

Actually, it was two foes. A man and a boy, both dressed in interesting costumes. Though it was entertaining that these costumed men wanted to challenge me, I took no pleasure in killing the innocent. 

I was reluctant to pull out my sword, but did so anyway. I pointed the bloody tip towards the two men dressed in black. The rain poured down on all of us, but I felt it weighing me down more than usual. I realized my energy was spent. 

"You killed these men?" the taller one asked. His voice was gravelly, rough, and accusing. At this point, I didn't really care how he talked to me. 

"They were going to rape this child," I said. The little girl cowered behind me, still trembling from the sight of so much death. 

The taller man stepped into what was left of the moonlight, showing his costume. He was clad in black, a grey bird spread across his chest, wearing a mask that had the ears of a bat on the sides. A scowl seemed to be permanently etched on his face. 

"Do you know who I am?" he asked. 

He took another step toward my sword but my grip never wavered. I decided to answer him with my own question. 

"Do you wish to challenge me?" My voice was strong, unwavering. 

He was thrown off by my question. My whole body was itching for him to attack. It would be easier to kill him if he would just fight me....

"No," he said slowly. "I want to help you."

I snorted. " _Help_ me?"

He was completely serious. "Why did you kill these men?"

I frowned. "Have you not heard a word I said? They were going to  _hurt_ this little girl."

"Yes, but why did you  _kill_ them?"

"It is in my nature." I raised an eyebrow, casting a quick glance at his partner in red. This confrontation seemed like it would never end. "Now, do you wish to challenge me? Or do you both wish to leave in one piece?"

Before he could answer my questions, a sharp pain erupted from my stomach. I quickly looked down to see a small knife protruding from my abdomen. Red spread from the dagger and across my white garb, staining my beautiful Themysciran clothing. 

One of the men I thought I'd killed was standing behind me, cackling like a lunatic as he (literally) stabbed me in the back. An animalistic growl erupted from my throat as I whirled around and used my sword to do the same to him. He fell limp against the blade, for I wasn't strong enough to take it out of him. I grunted as I sank to the ground, my knees buckling beneath me. 

Now my vision was swimming. All the strength I had left was washed away by the rain hitting my skin. The pain seized my body. 

The little girl in red loomed over me. Her face was calm now, not terrified. I envied how much control she had over her emotions. 

Just as I was slipped away, strong hands wrapped around me. I buried my face in the warmth, only seeing red. then the red faded and was replaced by the darkness of death. The shadows consumed me just as they had consumed the night. 


	2. the true nature, revealed

**chapter two:** **the true nature, revealed**

 

_I sat in the ashes._

_The flakes of what used to be my family seeped through my fingers as I dug my hand in them, trying to create man out of ash again. My mother....my father....by brother....all turned to dust. In that moment, all I could remember that saying temple priestesses used to say: ashes to ashes, dust to dust._

_My tears fell, dampening the ashes I held in my hands. The earth was burning all around me but all I felt was the cold darkness spreading through my chest. My sword sat blood and useless beside me; a weapon was not able to bring back my family. The Amazons may have won the war against Ares, but I'd lost the battle._ Let it burn,  _I thought bitterly._ Let it all burn. There was nothing here for me anymore. 

_"Reyna."_

_I didn't acknowledge the voice behind me but instead buried my face in the ashes of my family. I cursed the gods, even resented them. They were supposed to watch over my loved ones and protect them from their brother's wrath. How could this happen? My prayers were not enough, though they should've been._

_A hand was on my shoulder now. "Reyna, I heard your cries," the voice said softly. "Hippolyta has defeated Ares. Even with this victory, I see we have all lost something today."_

_I clenched my fist, the ashes falling from my palm. "Leo...." I choked on a sob. "My brother was too young."_

_I finally looked up to see who was trying to console me._

_She towered over my hunched body, her hair as red as the fires burning around us, her eyes all-seeing and as pale as the moon itself. She blended in with the scenery of destruction but somehow I knew she would rather be in the peaceful sanctuary of the forest. It must have been the green specks in her irises that gave it away._

_"Artemis," I finally said through gritted teeth. "Look at what Ares has done to my family." I lifted my trembling hand full of the ashes that once had been my brother's body._

_The goddess knelt down beside me, placing a soothing hand on my face. Her touch was so cold—the exact opposite of the fires that burned my skin. I leaned into her hand, wanting nothing more than to feel the cold peace she radiated._

_"My child," she cooed. The tears that leaked from my eyes touched her beautiful, pale hand, but she didn't seem to feel anything. "I believe your war is not over yet."_

_I couldn't pull my gaze away from hers. "What do you mean?"_

_She tucked in the stray pieces of my hair behind my ears. "I see it now, Reyna. The moon has presented you to me as a gift." She took a lock of my pale, blonde hair in her gentle hands, stroking it with all the love in the world. "I want you to join me in the Hunt."_

_My shaking hands relaxed, letting go of the ashes they held. A second chance is what she was saying. A chance to make sure no one else would lose as much as I did. I'd heard legends about Artemis and her Huntresses but never knew they were real. Now, as the goddess was staring me in the eyes, I believed in everything._

_I closed my eyes, taking in a deep breath before I spoke._

_"I will join you, Artemis."_

_She immediately smiled, the expression as warm as the fires burning around us. Her arms encircled me and she pulled me in her embrace, burying her face in my hair. "I knew your journey did not end here. The battle still rages on for you, my child of the moon."_

****

I woke up with unshed tears pooled in my eyes.

Everything was bright—too bright. I squinted and blinked rapidly, trying to become aware of my surroundings. I could barely remembered what had happened; my dream of the past was the only thing etched into my mind. 

"Hey, she's waking up."

The voice was muffled, as if I were submerged underwater. I blinked again and made out the silhouette of a young man looming over me. Panic immediately rose in my chest and I tried to move away from the figure, but ultimately failed. Something was holding me down besides my fear. 

I blinked again. The young man's face was defined, but what startled me were his bright, green eyes. A black mask rimmed around them, making them even more striking and beautiful. They reminded me of the forest: the peaceful sanctuary for Artemis' Huntresses. Nostalgia quickly replaced my panic. 

When I pulled at my wrists, I realized why I wasn't able to move: rope lined with flakes of gold was tied tightly around my wrists. I suddenly frowned, worried at the fact that these men knew the only thing that could weigh an Amazon—or the gods—down was pure gold. But how could they have the money for that in  _this_ city?

The young man continued to stare down at me curiously, his youthful eyes wandering my body. My white Themysciran clothes were in tatters and red stained the fabric at the center of my stomach. Ah, right. I almost forgot about the skirmish in the alley. Thankfully, my wound had already healed by now, for I must have been unconscious for a long time....

"Reyna Lune," a deep voice echoed throughout the room. Actually, it wasn't a room at all, but a cave. "My computer analyzer says you're from Themyscira."

I followed the voice to see another, older man—the masked one with the bat-ears from the alley. He still wore his interesting costume. 

When I didn't answer, he stepped out of the shadows and walked to where I was tied to a steel pole. The young man in red looked at him just like I was, wondering what he was going to do next. Was he going to torture me? Interrogate me? The list of possibilities was endless, and it made me antsy just thinking about what he could do while I was restrained. 

"Do you remember what happened when we met last night?" the man with the bat-ears continued. 

"Perfectly."

He was startled when I spoke, my voice laced with over five-hundred years of experience. I was impressed by how he masked his surprise, but not so impressed that I forgot what he was trying to do. I wished he would attack me so I would be able to bypass Artemis' code and kill him. 

"Well, then, you must remember that you killed four men," he continued. 

I nodded, my expression stoic. "Of course."

"See, I still don't understand why you would  _kill,_ " he said. "I thought Amazons were more like...."

"Diana?" I finished for him. "Princess Diana is the only example humans have of an Amazon, yet she has never lived through a war quite as grand as the one her mother was in. Do  _not_ compare her to me."

His lips turned up into a slight smile, as if he were proud that he got any information from me. Little did he know that I  _wanted_ him to know these things. If I was honest with him, it might take away some of the guilt after I killed him. My eyes searched the cave for my weapons.

"I assume you were in this.... _grand war?"_ he asked. 

I grimace, finally looking away from his gaze. I wasn't expecting him to take so much interest in the war—I thought he would ask me more about the Princess. All I could think of was my family's ashes, seeping through my palms....

The bat-eared man's expression softened. His next question rocked me to the core. 

"Who did you lose, Reyna?"

I bit my cheek, looking anywhere but at the men standing above me. The simple question about the death of my family irked me, for I'd worked so hard to forget about the tragedy. It was something I rarely talked about openly, except when I spoke to Artemis. But the moon goddess wasn't here right now, and I didn't need her to be. 

Finally, I looked back at the bat-eared man with resentment in my eyes. Through gritted teeth, I yelled at him, "I lost  _EVERYONE!"_

As I admitted it, all the fight left me. The unshed tears spilled over and I cursed the gods once more. I hoped Artemis felt my curse and took it personally. I hoped she felt my pain, tenfold. 

The bat-eared man didn't say anything as he untied the rope around my wrists, letting me go. I looked up at him, wearing the tears on my face with pride, my expression still guarded. 

"What....what is this?" I asked. 

"I sense that my history is much like yours, Reyna," he said. He lifted the mask off his face, revealing his true identity: a middle-aged man with hair as dark as the night sky, but his eyes were bright blue, like the clearest waters in the world. "I lost everyone, too. But then I rebuilt my family, taking in young kids and working with them to better the world." He placed a gloved hand on my shoulder. "I believe you can reshape your future, too. And I want you do reshape it with me."

I rubbed my wrists, looking at the man quizzically. I brushed his hand off my shoulder. "You are asking me to work with you?"

He nodded. "Yes. Together, as partners."

That intrigued me.  _Partners._ With Artemis, I was always the right-hand maiden, but she was the goddess. I had little to no say in our missions or how we accomplished them. I suppose that was why I left the Hunt, becoming a rogue Huntress in the process. 

But this man was asking me to work  _with_ him, not  _for_ him. Part of me resented him because of his masculinity, but the other part of me said this was a new chance to finally win the war raging on in my mind. To make the world a better place—not just for Amazons, but everyone. Rid the world of rapists and burglars and criminals; to make the world a safe place to live again. I finally understood Princess Diana a little more now. 

I decided I was tired of being alone. 

"Fine," I said quietly. "I will be your partner."


	3. bonds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> note: this isn't exactly what happens in the comics or UTRH, but I twisted the plot up a little to fit into my storyline. just a heads up!

**chapter three** **: bonds**

 

I learned later that was the first night I met Bruce Wayne, also know as the Batman to local folks in Gotham City. Later that night, the young man in red introduced himself as Jason Todd, Batman's other partner, also known as Robin. I thought the code names were odd, and Bruce seemed avid to give me a secret identity as well. I simply told him it wasn't necessary, for no one but Diana truly knew who I was. To Gotham City, I was nobody. 

It was our first mission together when I put my new code into play. I used to live by Artemis' Code for the Huntresses: a nice little mantra that denied us the right to kill unless our opponent made the first aggressive move. But that code was old and dying to me, quickly replaced by Batman's: only justice, never vengeance. Sure, it denied me the right to kill  _at all,_ but I figured it I was going to turn my life around from one filled with pain and sorrow, I would have to make some drastic lifestyle changes. 

If I remembered right, that was the night we took down a crime lord that went by the name of Riddler. It was a....different experience, to say the least. Before, when I would finish my kill, I never truly felt satiated, as if I needed the violence to live. Now? I felt accomplished when I took down and turned in the criminals. I was a predator and the criminals were my prey; it acted as a new challenge for me to conquer. It made me feel _good,_ for once.

Bruce let me live in his mansion that stood right above the Batcave. I quickly learned that Jason lived there, too. The boy, only around sixteen, reminded me of my brother, Leo. It took him a little longer to trust me, but ever since our first mission, I felt protective over him. I wondered if the gods had finally taken mercy on my soul, blessing me with an incarnation of my brother.

Soon enough, I grew used to the routine at the Wayne mansion. During the day, I helped Jason with his studies. At night, I would transform into a warrior of Gotham. The new code I lived by suited me well, though there was always a feeling on longing lingering in my heart to return to my old ways. I was tempted to kill again more times than not....but I found that I was pulled back by Bruce's words: _we cannot become the criminals._

I also realized how hard it was for me to kill around Jason. Someone so young seeing that much death? It reminded me too much of the Great War—the turning point in my life, the moment that shaped me into a killer forever.

But when I thought of Jason, when I remembered the young, innocent humans in the world, I realized I didn't want them to have the same experienced I had. So after that, resisting my urge to kill was easy. Well, not easy....but definitely  _easier._

****

Two years came and went. Jason and I grew close, and I protected and loved him as I once had protected and cherished my own brother. Bruce was a constant reminder of who I was trying to become by being a vigilante in Gotham—but he was also a mentor, a teacher. With Artemis, I flourished as a Huntress, a killer. I used my grief and became an unstoppable warrior. With Bruce, I grew to become a better Amazon. I learned the human emotions that had been granted to Diana but were denied to me: empathy, guilt, love....I felt all of it. 

I was truly surprised Diana hadn't come to visit me yet, though I was glad she stayed away. I wondered what she thought of my new career, or if she even knew about it. Simply thinking of the Princess reminded me of my past; reminded me of why there seemed to be an everlasting hole in my heart where my family once was. 

I suppose that's why we were never close. 

Thankfully, a distraction was presented to me. Bruce explained that the Joker, a psychopath that used fear to control his followers, had somehow broken out of Arkham Asylum. I had never heard of this Joker....but I could tell it stirred up bad memories for Bruce.

Bruce advised that Jason and I stay out of the Joker ordeal for a while, or at least until he knew the clown's exact location and intent. I didn't like sitting around and waiting for trouble to start, but I trusted Bruce to figure this out alone. A break wouldn't hurt me once in a while.

****

It had only been a couple days after the Joker's escape when Jason started not sleeping very well. I would know because he would wake me almost every night with his sleep-talking. It didn't necessarily bother me that I wasn't getting much sleep (Amazons barely needed any sleep to function), but it was bothering me that Jason was having nightmares.

I feared nothing. At least, I've never experienced fear. I have experience discomfort and nostalgia....but never have I felt the gut-wrenching emotion that drove most humans to act irrationally. Knowing this, I couldn't relate to Jason's nightmares, and it drove me crazy.

He started burying himself in his studies, ultimately spending more time with me as well. I never asked him about his bad dreams, though I was always curious to what humans thought about when their subconscious mind was in control.

One night I couldn't help myself.

I was showing Jason how to work through a trigonometry problem when I stopped and looked up at him. "You seem sluggish today. I know you don't like math much, but it can't be this boring—can it?" 

He yawned and rubbed his eyes. "I just haven't been sleeping that well, all right?" he snapped.

I set my pen down, hoping to show sincerity in my intense gaze. "I know. You have been talking in your sleep." This instantly earned me a glare, and I threw my hands up in surrender. "I am only worried about you, Jay. Humans need sleep." 

"Oh, and I guess Amazons don't?" When I didn't reply right away, he shook his head. "You've been a part of my life for  _two years_ , yet sometimes I feel like I barely know you, Rey."

I frowned. I have never been eager to share my past or my people's history with Bruce or Jason, and they never really asked about it. Maybe I had been shrouded with mystery for too long. Or maybe that was just how I liked to live: like a shadow. 

Jason seemed to detect my hurt, his frown softening a little. "Look, if I tell you, you  _can't_ tell Bruce. Okay?"

I looked away from my hands and back up at him. "A secret?" I quirked an eyebrow. I had plenty of secrets of my own, so why had I thought that no one else had skeletons in the closet? It was naïve of my to think that way. So, hesitantly, I nodded. "I will not tell Bruce. Just tell me what is bothering you, Jason."

He bit his lip, his eyes casting away from mine. "My mother called me a couple days ago. She wants to meet me at the old café down on 10th." He sighed and closed his eyes. "It's an old abandoned area of Gotham, on the outskirts." Pause. "I thought my mother was dead, Rey.  _Dead._ Now she wants to be in my life again? I don't know what to do."

I let his story sink in. I was reminded of the day I chose to leave Artemis and the Huntresses, becoming a rogue in the process. I prayed to the gods every night leading up to my decision, hoping for some advice, but I never received any. The day came around to where it was time for me to decide, and I chose by myself, for myself, to leave. 

"Reyna?"

Jason broke me from my concentration. I looked at him now, in his beautiful, emerald eyes, hoping he could sense my sincerity. 

"My family was taken away from me too soon," I said quietly. "I think about them everyday, how I should've been there to save them how I should've spent more time with them, how I could've lived in prosperity with them. Then they were all gone." I held my gaze steady with Jason. I thought of the other Huntresses....my  _sisters_....how devastated they were when I went rogue. "Family is important to me. Whether it is important to you....well, that is your decision to make."

He looked at me, mystified, his eyes wide and curious. "I'm so sorry for your loss," he whispered. I knew he wanted to ask more about my family, though he stopped himself. For that, I was grateful. 

"That was over hundreds of years ago," I assured, "but thank you for your sympathy."

He nodded. "I think I know what I have to do." He took my hand and squeezed, a warm gesture. "Thanks, Rey."

I simply smiled. 

****

I never knew when Jason left, but apparently Bruce was aware. I could tell he was worried about the Robin. This frustrated me—he really should have more faith in his student. 

But soon, worry consumed me as well. It had been three days since Jason had contacted me on the communicator he left on my nightstand. Usually he updated me every couple hours or so, reminded me not to tell Bruce anything, but he'd been radio silent for too long. But before I could tell Bruce everything, he called for me in the Batcave.

"It's Jason," was all he said, then quickly left my room. I followed him.

I hovered over Bruce's shoulder as he pulled up a video on the monitors. I wasn't familiar with all the technology yet, so I stared at the screen with confusion. "What is this?" I asked. 

He let out a long breath. "It's a video sent to us from Joker. He must've recorded this a few days ago...."

I watched the monitor, seeing the dark screen come to life. Jason sat in the middle of the room, his hands bound to the chair he sat in. Bruce started to tell me things about where he might be based on the tape, but all I could do was focus on Jason. What had he gotten into....

My view of the boy was cut off when a tall, lanky man with ghostly white skin stood in front of the camera, smiling wide as he played with a crowbar. He looked like he'd seen Hades himself and never fully returned to life. 

"Joker," Bruce whispered to himself. 

"This one is yours, isn't he, Bats?" the ghost-man teased. "Why....how did he ever get  _here?"_ He cackled, his blood red lips curling into a sinister smile. 

"It was a trap!" Jason shouted, straining against his bonds. "My mom—Rey—!"

Joker smacked him upside the head with the crowbar, cutting him off with brute force. My hands clenched into fists as the cracking of bones echoed through the Batcave. I guessed his mom hadn't really tried to contact him. Or did she, and made a deal with Joker in the process? Vengeance ravaged my mind. 

The clip cut off, immediately switching to the next one. Bruce was trying to tell me something but I never took my eyes off the screen. I had to know what happened to Jason. I had to know if he....if he was still alive. 

The room was the same as the next clip turned on, though now Jason's hands were tied to the ceiling panels and he dangled like a slab of meat, not moving at all. His Robin costume was slashed and stained with blood—too much blood. The mask he usually wore had been ripped off, revealing the many bruises and cuts on his face. A low growl escaped my lips as Joker came into view once again. 

"Good morning again, Bats!" The ghost-man twirled his crowbar like a cheerleading baton. Fresh blood dripped off the metal. "Your little Robin here is a feisty one, even more than the first Boy Blunder!" He lifted Jason's head with his bar, making the boy yelp in agony. The green eyes that mesmerized me now swirled with pain and what I would imagine to be fear. "He keeps saying some girl's name during our daily therapy sessions....Elena? Kayla?" Joker laughed hysterically at this. "I never thought any of you bats could love anything."

Jason mumbled something unintelligible as he tried to stand up straight, but he fell limp against his binds when Joker hit him once again. 

The ghost-man turned back to the camera, squinting his beady eyes. "Well, Bats, I gotta go, but I think the little Robin wants to stay here a while. Good night!" Then he swung the crowbar right at the camera, shattering it completely. 

Even though the video was over, I couldn't pull my eyes away from the blank monitors. My mind replayed the clips of Jason over and over again.  _Was he dead?_ I didn't know. A strange feeling spread from my gut through my veins and reached my heart, paralyzing me. I twas love and guilt and rage all balled into one. Tears leaked from my eyes as I felt helpless and most of all, I realized, I was afraid. For the first time in my terribly long life, I felt fear. 

"Reyna." The voice was gentle, trying to catch my attention. I blinked and stripped my eyes away from the screen, quickly wiping the tears away. Bruce stood in front of me and waved a hand in front of my face. 

"Bruce...." I trailed, my voice wavering. How could I fell him that I knew Jason was going to leave? How could I admit that it was my fault he had been caught by the Joker? "Bruce, I—" 

He put a hand on my shoulder, his eyes void of any emotion. "Reyna, now is not the time for that." He squeezed my arm for reassurance, though I felt nothing but guilt eating away at my heart. "I assume you know where he is?"

I balled my hands into fists, my teeth grinding together as I turned my fear and worry into rage and aggression. 

"I know  _exactly_ where he is."


	4. bonds, broken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> note: includes some violence and death. read at your own discretion.

**chapter four:** **bonds, broken**

 

Bruce tried to get me to ride on his motorcycle but I was determined to run my way there. At my top speed, I was faster than a cheetah from the Amazon forests. Usually I would carry small daggers as weapons when I went out on missions, but tonightI carried my Sword of the Moon. Little did Bruce know, if I got my hands on Joker, the clown himself was going to die. I prayed to Artemis to forgive me later. 

I ran through the snowy, deserted east side of Gotham with my sword at the ready, leading Bruce's motorcycle through the rough terrain. My senses were at their peak: my eyes attentive, my nose searching for Jason's scent, my muscles tense and ready for anything. I wished to see Joker, to spill his blood. I was on the Hunt again, though this time I felt alone, yearning for the kill. 

As soon as the old, abandoned café came into view, I charged with all the might of an Amazon, a yell ripping from the deepest part of my throat. Bruce was too far behind to stop me now.

I crashed into the café, my sword thirsting for Joker's blood, but all I saw was a figure crumpled against the wall with its arms chained to the ceiling above. I was taken back. My sense didn't pick up anyone else in the shack, only—

"Jason?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. 

He lifted his head, his beautiful green eyes widening when he saw me. His eyes were red and one was swollen shut, his skin littered with bruises, dried blood crusting on most of his Robin suit. There was evidence on his cheeks that he had been crying recently. 

"Reyna,  _get out of here!"_ he screamed, lunging at me. " _GET OUT—!"_

Before I could even react, an explosion from the center of the room threw me back against the thin wall of the café. My sword slipped out of my grasp and a scream was caught in my throat. I was thrown so hard that I went right through the wood wall. Flames licked my skin, covering my body in terrible burns.

I landed with a _thud_ in the powdery snow, which was now covered in ash. The snow was a cold blanket, making my body completely numb to the pain. My vision swirled as I looked up at the night sky. Colors danced across the skies above: orange, red, white, yellow. It seemed I was destined to relive my family’s pain, for their lives ended in fire as well.

“Reyna!”

Before I could succumb to the flames, strong hands pulled my body out of the crumbling rubble. I blinked away the swirling colors clouding my eyes to see it was Batman himself that had saved me from a fiery death. I almost wished he would have let me die, but all of my dreary thoughts were washed away when the Bat spoke.

“ _Jason_.”

He wasn’t talking to me anymore, but was now looking to the right of where I lay. He got up and followed his line of vision while I struggled to push myself up. I quickly assessed my body to check for any terrible wounds, though all I found were the burns on my back and my left ulna, shattered. It would take time to heal but it wouldn’t kill me.

“No…”

Batman’s broken voice brought me back to reality. I used my good arm to push myself up and follow him. He stood with his back to me, carefully picking up a small figure in red.

“Batman—” I started, but my voice caught when he turned around.

Jason lay in his arms, blood as red as his suit trailing out of his mouth. His eyes stared up at the black sky, looking, though never seeing. The emerald sparkle in his eyes had been dimmed with death. I could hear no heartbeat.

My knees buckled beneath me and I fell to the ground on all fours, my fists digging through the ashes, trying to find something to hold onto. Pain from my broken arm surged through me, one of the only things that reminded me that this was reality. Fire raged around us but never came close. It was as if these flames knew my history. Deja vu washed over me; I was transported back to the day I found all of my family dead and turned to ash.

The strange, new feeling...the fear...in the pit of my stomach finally made its way to my heart, piercing it like a dagger. A sob caught in the back of my throat and I squeezed my eyes shut, biting my lip so hard it started to bleed. Jason, the boy I loved as much as I had loved my own brother, was dead and gone.

Batman knelt before me and I couldn’t help but laugh at the uncanny resemblance to the first time I lost my loved ones to fire. Batman, Artemis….Jason, my family….it was one in the same. True irony. My laugh quickly twisted into a choked sob. Batman lay Jason’s body in front of me, finally showing me all of his injuries.

My one good hand gravitated to the Robin’s face as I pulled him towards me, hugging his limp body to my chest. I cried, stuffing my face into his dark hair that reminded me of the night sky. I shook so terribly—as if I were in the middle of a snowstorm instead of the burning rubble.

Bruce put a hand on my back to console me, but I felt as if he shouldn’t pity me at all. _I_ was the one that convinced Jason to go meet his “mother.” _I_ was the one who told him family could be all he had someday. _I_ was the one who convinced him to trust people sometimes. And look where it got him—dead, laying in the middle of ashes, held by somebody who shouldn’t have gotten anywhere close to him in the first place.

“I am so sorry,” I cried, stroking Jason’s hair out of his dead, unseeing eyes. I spoke to no one in particular. “This is my fault. I could have saved him. _I could have SAVED him!_ By gods, I am so _sorry._ ” I punched the ashes with my fist, screaming out in rage. 

In all my life, I had never feared anything. I was a fearless warrior, crafted by my parents and shaped into the Amazon Huntress I was meant to be by Artemis. Since birth I was destined to be a fighter. But my family...Leo...Jason...were all gone, simply because I was too late to save them. I was always left standing while the ones I loved turned to ash. It was a punishment within itself to never be the one being mourned. Because of this, fear haunted me like a ghost. It seemed my loved ones always turned up dead...

Bruce said nothing as he moved his trembling hand over Jason’s beautiful eyes and closed them forever.

I don’t know how long I stayed there with Batman and his dead Robin. It felt like an eternity before I finally stood; the flames had almost gone out by the time we left. I realized my flame may have finally gone out as well.

****

Much like the Amazons, humans buried and mourned for their dead in graves next to other lost souls, creating a field full of death. It was a gloomy sight, and I was painfully reminded of the paintings in the Themysciran halls that depicted Hades’ realm. The graveyard looked more like a stomping ground for the god of the Underworld than a place to visit the deceased.

I wore a black dress instead of my usual white one. I wondered if I would ever wear white again, for black seemed to be the only color to describe how I felt.

Bruce and Alfred stood behind me while Dick, Bruce’s first adopted son and Gotham vigilante, was beside me. Richard and I had never really talked except for brief instances on patrol, but he seemed just as upset as I was about Jason’s...passing.

The priest ended his sermon, motioning Bruce and Alfred to begin working on the casket. I was thankful to Bruce for having a closed casket ceremony, for if I looked at the boy’s dead face one more time, I don’t think I would’ve ever left the graveyard.

Bruce and Alfred began laying the casket in its grave slowly but surely. I bent down and took a handful of dirt with my right hand, then threw the soil on top of the black box. Dick sighed deeply.

“Why’d you do that?” he asked.

I brushed the rest of the dirt off my hand. “An old Amazon custom. It has been centuries since I have attended anything like this,” I admitted solemnly.

He was silent for a long time, thinking about my words. I felt numb on the outside as I watched Jason being lowered into the ground, but the guilt and—most of all—the pain was still fresh in my chest.

“You know, he was like a brother to me,” Dick finally said. His voice was soft and earnest as he remembered his fallen friend. “I was his mentor for a long time, teaching him everything he needed to know to be Robin. The things he didn’t learn from Bruce, he learned from me. Well, and you, of course.”

I shifted my left arm in my sling, uncomfortable, remembering the last time we spoke at the manor. _Sometimes I feel like I barely know you, Rey._ That was the only shard of evidence I ever gave him to figure out my past. Jason had died not even really knowing who I was, not knowing what I had been through in my long, long life, but I had known him. _What a mentor I am,_ I thought bitterly. _Cowering away from my past so much that the people I grow to love barely know me at all._

“Oh, Reyna…” Dick pulled me in his embrace, recognizing the tears that had escaped from my eyes. “Shh…”

I gripped his jacket as tight as I could, my body racking with sobs. “I...I _loved_ him,” I cried. “Everyone I love, dies, Dick. _EVERYONE!”_

He didn’t say anything except whispers of comforting words while he rubbed my back, trying to soothe me. But I didn’t need any sympathy. I _needed_ Jason back.

“He loved you more than you know,” Dick murmured. “More than you’ll ever know.”

I was tired, so tired. What a fool I was, what a coward. Bruce, Alfred, and Richard tried to tell me differently, but I knew they were all wrong. I was no Amazon. I was no Huntress. I was a rogue—not a hero meant to save people—but a vigilante destined to destroy them.

****

Later that same day, while Bruce was down in the Batcave, I snuck out of the manor. I took my sword with me, tucking it away in the belt of my black funeral dress. It gleamed in the moonlight as much as it always had. I suppose its luster wouldn’t fade with death, but as for mine…

My intention was not to go on patrol tonight, but to head towards the graveyard again.

The headstone was just the same as it had been just a few hours earlier. _HERE LIES JASON PETER TODD._ The fresh dirt hadn’t molded into the earth yet and I would imagine the tears I shed still lay on the grass, not quite making it to the ground.

I knelt down in front of the grey headstone, my fingers just brushing the letters. The memories of the young Robin haunted me, his death still fresh in my mind, the few moments I had to save him, my hesitation…

My thoughts ceased as rain started to pour all around me. A hysteric laugh bubbled out of my mouth. Of course the gods would pick this time to not burn me, but drown me instead.

I suppose Artemis was right when she told me my war had not ended with the Great War of Ares. No, my war was with the Joker and Jason—and I had lost. My war was over now, without him, without my family. I was alone, the only survivor in the battle that had taken over five-hundred years to end.

I unhooked my sling and let my healing arm dangle beside me; the broken bone was the only injury that hadn’t fully healed from that night, despite the hole in my heart where love once flourished.

I suppose there was no use for that emotion anymore.

I unsheathed my sword, holding it carefully with both hands. The moon was generous and granted me enough light to see my reflection, though all I saw was an Amazon who had lost too much. My eyes were red, the pale irises not reflecting the moon as they once had, and my hair stuck to my body like limp string.

My war was over now. It was finally time for a new beginning.

Using my healing arm, I lifted my long, white hair into a ponytail and held my sword next to the strands. In ancient times, cutting long hair was seen as a punishment in Themyscira—something that only happened to you if you failed in your duties to your people.

In my own way, I had failed. First, my family. Then Jason. When would the list end for me, the rogue Huntress?

My blade sliced through the strands.

I looked at the wet hair in my palm. My sword fell to the ground, the tip digging into the dirt. I shivered in the rain now without the warmth of my hair, but I realized I would rather be cold than ever be in the fire again. It was time for Reyna Lune to end the war.

No more tears fell.

I threw my hair at Jason’s headstone, crying out in frustration and pain. Never again would I let anyone die because of me. I was getting out of the game for good. No more Huntress. No more rogue Amazon. No more Reyna Lune.

I sat in the rain, soaking in the comfort of the cold, wanting to feel something.

Instead, I felt nothing.


	5. under the red hood

**chapter five:** **under the red hood**

 

_Five years later...._

****

The sun was setting, the streetlights dimming, the shadows growing. A cool breeze blew through the air, adding to the already frigid atmosphere. The streets were crowded with people trying to get home before the trouble started. It was a prime time to go on patrol; the perfect time for the Bat himself to start bringing justice to Gotham. 

Five years ago I would've been suited up already, waiting for Batman's command down in the Batcave. Then I decided I wasn't fit for the game anymore—the war had ended for me. At Batman's request, I only helped him fight crime when he was in immediate danger. I lived in the Manor at the time. Everyday felt meaningless, and I finally realized I was useless without the Hunt. 

One day, I couldn't control my outrage. It was only a few weeks after the tragedy at the abandoned café when I set out to find Joker. Batman stopped me from finishing my mission shortly after I had captured the clown....

After my failed attempt at revenge, I lived in the darkness for two years. I spent all hours of the day in that cave, trying to find meaning to my life. I trained like I was going into battle again, preparing for the next war. Artemis crossed my mind several times, though I knew she would never take me back after the things I had done. She loved me, that was still true, but not enough to go against her virtues as a Huntress of the Night. So I stayed in the cave. 

Only when the darkness became unbearably lonely was when I left the Hunt altogether. Bruce wouldn't let me back out on the streets, so he convinced me to try a completely different lifestyle: college. 

It was only fitting, given that my physical form was still young. When Artemis swore me in to the Hunt, I was twenty years old. Once I was a Huntress, I gained immortality, unless I was killed in battle or by another being. Time became meaningless as the years went by, for I was like a god, a warrior sworn to Artemis' army. As a tribute of our love and friendship, Artemis allowed me to keep my Huntress-immortality when I left her army. I was grateful for her mercy back then, but now I felt as if it were a curse. 

I only went to college to fill a void, to find some way through the dark abyss I felt like I was drowning in. Bruce convinced me to stay in an apartment downtown, one that he used as a safe house sometimes. He would visit, as the Bat and Mr. Wayne, and would occasionally need me to stitch him up after patrol. But that happened very, very rarely anymore.

Now I stood in the square at Gotham University, watching as other students made their way home. The regular school day had ended, though I lingered on campus. The clouds seemed to hang lower than usual today, mimicking my current mood. Today was the day I had tried to forget, to no avail. 

I sat against a tree in the square, setting my bag full of books down beside me. A deep sigh escaped my lips as I closed my eyes.  _If this day would just get over already...._

My eyes snapped open when the vibration of my phone startled me. I picked it up and looked at the caller ID, rolling my eyes once I saw who it was. 

I pressed the phone to my ear. "Hello?"

"Reyna," Bruce said, his voice more cheerful than usual. Probably because I finally answered one of his many calls this evening. "How are you?"

It took all of my willpower not to snap at him. Today was not the day to test my patience. "I am doing just fine. The sunset looks very beautiful from the University square," I replied, trying to put as much glee in my voice as possible. I knew this day was as hard for him as it was for me. 

"I bet." A long pause. "Alfred, Dick, and I are heading to the cemetery. Will you be able to make it?"

I frowned, putting a hand to my head. I knew he was going to ask me this. I wanted to tell him that the  _last_ thing I wanted to do was go to that damn grave again, to see the place where it all fell apart....but I opted for staying silent instead. 

"I hope you come," Bruce finally said after I was quiet for too long. "It would be nice for us to all be together, Reyna. It  _is_ the anniversary of Jason's—"

" _Don't,_ " I interrupted. The hand holding my head was shaking now. "Do  _not_ say his name." 

Now Bruce was the one being quiet, and I appreciated it. If he were to argue with me about this, I may actually act on my hypothetical plan to leave town for good. I suspected he knew this, too. 

Grabbing my book bag, I stood and turned away from the sunset. The moon was out now—something I'd been running from for far too long—and the sight of it tonight made me sick. 

"I was going to study in the library tonight, Bruce," I finally said, my tone gentle again. "I do not think I will make it to the cemetery. Thank you for the offer, though."

He sighed. "I understand."

"For that, I am grateful," I said. "Tell Alfred and Dick I said hello."

"I will. Be safe, Reyna."

I grimaced. "Always am. Goodnight."

My finger quickly tapped my phone, desperate to end the call. I stood in the square for a second, gathering myself. At least I still had a sanctuary, a safe house almost, to escape to. Lose myself in a good book or two before I headed over to the cemetery myself. 

The hair on the back of my neck suddenly stood on end, adrenaline instantly pumping through my veins. My heightened senses tingled. Somebody was watching me....a shadow, on the rooftops....

I shook my head and stuffed my phone into my bag. I somebody was watching me, I didn't care. Let them watch. Let them make a move. I would love to take out my frustrations on some criminal today. 

But nothing happened. 

I walked into the library alone.

****

"The University library closes at midnight, ma'am. You have five minutes."

I hummed in acknowledgement at the librarian, my eyes soaking in the last words of  _The Odyssey._ The moment I finished the book, I snapped it shut and stuffed it in my bag, adding to my collection of stolen University novels. The librarian knew by now that missing books were because of me, but I was certain she never confronted me simply because she feared me. At first it made me laugh but I suppose it was better that way. 

The older woman locked the door behind me, basically throwing me out into the dark. Barely any streetlights were on but I never needed artificial light to see at night. With my heightened eyesight, I navigated my way through Gotham just fine. 

It was chilly out; goosebumps covered my flesh. The wind was even colder when I scaled the side of the library and stood on the rooftop. Whoever was watching me earlier was gone now and I was partially disappointed. Adrenaline still raced through my body, for night was the time I felt most alive. 

I quickly decided to take off, leaping and bounding gracefully from rooftop to rooftop as I made my way toward the cemetery. Since it was almost midnight, and the start of a new day, I ran as fast as I could. 

I had never missed the anniversary of his death— _ever._ The day was too ingrained in my mind for me to forget, and I didn't plan on ever forgetting. 

As I sprinted, I felt a presence watching me yet again. Part of me wanted to seek out this mysterious stranger and confront them....but my mission was to make it to the graveyard before midnight. At my pace, I was going to make it in no time. 

It took me less than two minutes at my top speed to make it to the grave.

I sat down in front of the old stone, taking my book bag off my shoulder and setting it beside me. Red roses and purple carnations littered the area around the grave—remnants of Bruce's visit, no doubt. I was surprised he hadn't called me after they visited. 

Maybe he had finally given up on me. 

I pulled out my recently stolen copy of the Odyssey and tore out page 58, reading my favorite quote to no one in particular but the boy who lay dead in the ground. 

" _Men are so quick to blame the gods: they say that we devise their misery. But they themselves—in their depravity—design grief greater that the griefs that fate assigns._ " I put the page under the roses, using it as my gift to honor the dead. Homer's quote was ironic to me, for I quickly blamed the gods when my loved ones died even though it was  _I_ who had been too slow to save them. 

My trembling fingers grazed over the markings in the stone.  _HERE LIES JASON PETER TODD._ Just seeing his name reminded me of his face....though my memories of him were blurry and choppy. My chest clenched at the mere thought of him. 

I squeezed my eyes shut, though no tears fell tonight. The grave had cracked a little bit but, other than that, it had remained the same. I realized I was not the same as this old gravestone—I had cracked under death's taunting manner, and I let it break me. The human emotions I had learned and felt eventually turned against me in the end. 

The burns on my body would heal. My broken arm would heal. But this hole in my heart would remain. 

After ten minutes of mourning, I finally stood and grabbed my bag of books and left. I knew if I allowed myself to stay any longer I would have never left. 

****

I took my time getting home, enjoying the frigid chill of the night. On a day I remembered only fire, it was nice to feel comforted by the cold. At least that day was over now, and I wouldn't have to relive it until next year. Maybe the gods felt pity for me—Apollo finally giving up his grudge against me so I could rest for a night. 

Once I made it to my apartment, my fatigue had caught up with me. I hadn't run like that since the last time I went on patrol three years ago. My energy had been spent on bounding from rooftop to rooftop and immersing myself in  _The Odyssey_ tonight. 

I didn't even bother to turn on the lights, for the moonlight was enough for me. I dragged myself over to the kitchen area and plopped my bag on the counter. A few books spilled out in the process but I swept them back into the bag lazily, downing a glass of water at the same time. 

My phone vibrated, catching my eye. It was a text message from Bruce:  _You make it home okay?_

I rolled my eyes and sighed, gripping the counter I leaned on. I appreciated the concern Bruce showed for me, but right now wasn't the time to pester me about anything. My emotions were running wild already—I didn't need anyone plucking my heart strings when I was vulnerable. 

Suddenly the hairs on the nape of my neck stood on end. A cool breeze swept in from the closest window....a window I never opened.  _Click._ It sounded like a bullet being placed in the chamber of a gun. I stood as still as possible, my senses awake again, my hands gripping the side of the counter with all my might. 

"Welcome home, Huntress."

The second the intruder spoke, I grabbed the hilt of my sword from the counter and whirled my arm around, pointing the time right at their throat.


	6. reunion

**chapter six:** **reunion**

 

The figure in front of me was a man almost as tall as I, an Amazon warrior, through he hid his face behind a red helmet. My sword was dangerously close to his throat, the tip poking the collar on his leather jacket. He reeked of sweat as if he had been running all night. Which, if he was trying to keep up with me, I wouldn't be surprised if he had been. 

"You have been following me all night," I said flatly, my eyes trained on his shielded ones. 

The barrel of his gun was cold as he pressed it against my forehead. "What a  _spectacular_ observation," he said, his deep voice dripping with sarcasm. 

I quirked an eyebrow. I've seen this vigilante running around before, stopping crime. Gotham University campus had definitely reported a mysterious red-hooded man running around, killing off crime lords and mob bosses. Of course, that was all just speculation. 

"I suppose _you_ are the infamous Red Hood running around Gotham," I replied. "You know, I have even heard rumors that it's  _you_ controlling crime around here, not Batman." I cracked a smirk. 

He growled at the mention of the Bat, pressing his gun into my forehead even harder. This was a poor tactic on his part, for he had no chance of moving me from where I stood. Little did he know that I didn't fear death; hell, fear hadn't run through my veins since.... _Jason's_....death. I was solely focused on the Hunt now. My Amazonian strength overpowered his human muscle tenfold. 

The Red Hood gestured to my back of books with his free hand. "I never took you as a college girl, Reyna." He chuckled, changing the subject. "I like the new hair, though. It suits you."

I stared at him blankly, staying silent.  _How did he know my name?_ I had kept a low profile over the years, not particularly giving my name out like spare change. Socializing wasn't my forté, even at college. 

"Did you read any Thoreau? Emerson? Shakespeare?" he continued. I couldn't see it but I knew he was smirking under that stupid helmet. "What about any Homer?"

I grit my teeth and inched my sword even closer to his jugular; he had to step back to keep the point from breaking his skin, though he still pointed the gun at me. How the Red Hood knew me, I had no idea, but he'd seen me at the graveyard. He'd seen me  _vulnerable._ This was unacceptable. Completely unacceptable. My hand shook now that I was gripping the sword so hard. 

"What do you want from me?" I snapped. "To kill me?"

Part of me wanted him to finish the job, to finally put me to rest, sending me to Hades' fiery pit where I belonged. To my surprise, he dropped his gun from my head and put it back in its holster. I never let my weapon down. 

"No, I didn't come to kill you." His voice was softer now. "I just needed to see you again."

My anger couldn't be controlled any longer, and my patience was thinning. " _Again?!"_ I yelled. "Tell me  _now_ —who the hell are you?" I was pressing my sword into his neck so hard that a small stream of blood trailed down his throat. 

He slowly reached up and took off his helmet, shaking his head so his hair fell back into place. The Red Hood was handsome in the soft moonlight, to say the least, but I dedicated all my focus on figuring out who the hell this guy was.  _And why was he giving away his secret identity? Wait...._

He then took off the mask he wore under his helmet. His eyes lifted to meet mine; his irises a bright, emerald green that I would've remembered anywhere. My jaw dropped and my eyes widened when he looked at me. His jet black hair had a white streak at the front, his voice was deeper, and he was definitely taller, but other that he hadn't changed at all....

I felt like my heart had crawled up into my throat. My hands trembled so badly that my sword fell from my grip, clattering to the floor. This had to be an illusion....a hallucination of some sort....

"Jason?" I asked quietly.

The boy, now a man, cracked a half-smile. "It's good to see you again, Rey."

I fell into him as my knees went weak. The tears I held in earlier fell without care, bleeding onto his leather jacket. He was back. I didn't know how, but he wasn't rotting in a moldy grave as I had once thought. My body racked with sobs and I held onto his collar with a death grip. Reality became surreal, almost dream-like. I hadn't said his name in five years—a punishment for my failure to save him in time. 

I didn't know how it was possible but at the moment I really didn't care. "I am so sorry, Jason. I....I could have saved you...."

"Shh," he soothed, finally returning my embrace. "Don't do that now, alright? Don't say that."

I held onto his jacket even tighter, squeezing my eyes harder. Guilt wrapped around my heart and crushed me from the inside. It was one thing to punish myself, but to see him again....to be  _reminded_ of why I had so much darkness in my heart.... _that_ was the worst of all. 

"You were dead, Jay." I stepped away from him and picked up my sword, putting it back in its spot on the kitchen counter. I couldn't make myself look him in the eyes. "I thought you were gone forever."

"I think you're the only one who still cares, Reyna," he admitted quietly. 

I shook my head, leaning on the kitchen counter, my hands gripping the edge so hard that part of the marble broke off. "Five years...." I muttered. I closed my eyes again, the tears staining my cheeks turning cold. "For five years, I thought you were dead. I thought it was my fault...." Then, I finally mustered the courage to look up at him. "I lived with that guilt for  _five years._ Why did you choose to come back now?"

He was troubled by the question, hesitating to answer right away. "It's not that easy. I was dead until Talia al Ghul decided to help Batman out. A year after it happened, she brought me back with the Lazarus Pit. After that...." His gaze fell from mine. "Well, I kind of fell off the deep end. Literally."

My head fell and I pushed myself up from the counter, closing my eyes again. The emotions in my heart and the thoughts in my chest were running wild. This wasn't supposed to happen, Jason coming back. My mind had latched onto the idea that history had repeated itself, that Jason was taken away from me because my brother had been, but this changed  _everything_. 

"Reyna? You okay?"

I looked up to see Jason moving towards me, ready to spring into action if I fell. I stood on my own but took his hand in mine. It was a small reminder to myself that this was real....that _he_ was real, and not just a fragment of my imagination. To my surprise, his touch was cold. How ironic, for him to die in fire and come to life again as a creature of the night, like myself. 

"I am tired," I finally admitted. "You are welcome to stay, if you would like."

"Does Bruce—"

"He never looks for me anymore," I interrupted, answering his question before he asked it. "You can have my bed for the night. It is in the hallway to your right."

Before he could give a yes or no answer, I made my way to the couch and plopped down on it. My muscles were sore and my mind was growing weary of all the thoughts and emotions running through it. My senses were slowly shutting down and I was drifting to sleep just as a faint whisper came from the kitchen.

"I'll always stay with you, Reyna."


End file.
